Johanna Cederlöf: Ikea NZ Market Manager on New Zealand's first Ikea opening in December

There's only three months until New Zealand's first Ikea store opens its doors in Auckland's Sylvia Park.

The Swedish furniture giant's 34,000 square metre store will host seven-and-a-half thousand products.

It'll also see its restaurant open with foods like its famous Swedish meatballs. 

Ikea NZ Market Manager Johanna Cederlöf says they've already hired 200 people, with 320 more joining soon.

"Every week, it's going to be very busy - so approximately 30 to 80 people joining and onboarding themselves to what will be ahead of them."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Nineteen ninety two is the text number. Okay, get ready
to make room in your house for meat balls and
billy bookcases. Ikea has revealed it's going to open its
doors in time for Christmas on Thursday, the fourth of December.
Johannah sudelev Is IKEA's market manager. Hi Johannah, Hello, Hi mate,
just before Christmas. It's going to be mental, isn't it.

Speaker 2 (00:25):
It's going to be really cool. I can't wait. It's
super exciting. Have been super excited to announce the days
three months to go and then fourth of December we're
opening our doors at s Agiasilvia Park as well as
the online shop for all kivs around the country.

Speaker 1 (00:41):
I mean, look, it feels I want to come as
soon as possible, but the thought of having to battle
that traffic and the crowd fills me with trepidation. So
when do you reckon it's the best time to come?

Speaker 2 (00:50):
Is it?

Speaker 1 (00:50):
Kind of after Christmas when things have calmed down for
those of us who want to avoid the crowd.

Speaker 2 (00:56):
Oh, I'm sure you will find a slots already earlier,
So hopefully you'll find a good moment during the days,
for example, So we will, we will be sure that
we don't open on the opening day exactly on a
morning traffic, but a little bit after that. But of
course if you want to wait for a couple more days,

(01:18):
then you can start shopping via online. We can either
deliver it to your home, or you can pick it
up from a couple pickup points that mainfreight is providing
around the country, or you can also click and collect
it from the garage of the store very convenient directly
to your car.

Speaker 1 (01:38):
Brilliant, Now have you got Is this going to be
a full like? Is everything going to be on off
of the full range?

Speaker 2 (01:44):
Yes? So in IKEA we have a mandatory range reaching
a bit over seven thousand, and we are bringing all
that in to New Zealand directly to take with you
home today from ik Sylvia Park or conveniently as you
wish to get them delivered to your house.

Speaker 1 (02:01):
And have you got everything that you need to get going?
Because I think the other day you had about oh,
I don't even think it was twenty percent of the
staff that you need.

Speaker 2 (02:08):
No, we're actually today already over two hundred coworkers commenced
and the rest three hundred and twenty plus will be
soon joining us every week. It's going to be very busy,
so approximately thirty to eighty people joining and onboarding themselves
to what will be ahead of them.

Speaker 1 (02:28):
What's your tip? What is the item we have to
all have?

Speaker 2 (02:33):
Oh, that's a good question. There's plenty, of course, it's plenty,
plenty of course. But I personally I love our packs wardrobe.
It's so convenient, so stylish and can be modified according
to your own needs. But of course there's multiply different
items like our textiles. It's super durable and beautiful. So yeah,

(02:56):
you just need to come and see and you will
notice yourself. What will be your favorite?

Speaker 1 (03:01):
Yeah? I googled the Pax wardrobe. That's a fantastic tip.
Actually great for Yeah, great, I can just see that
fitting in the house already. I'll have to come. Okay, now,
you guys had a bit of I mean, you'll be
aware you hit the headlines a wee bit with your
consenting and stuff. Would you get frustrated by that process?

Speaker 2 (03:21):
We have been super happily helped with Auckland Council and
all the neighbors and our collaborative partners. We're super excited
that we now are on track on our opening and
can open the doors by end of December. This was
our aim that we can open before Christmas, and we

(03:41):
are way on the way. So that's of course very
good news, fantastic. Now.

Speaker 1 (03:46):
I don't know if you caught this. We discussed this
on the show yesterday, but there is a little bit
of a controversy coming out of Sweden where the Swedish
authorities have put together a canon of the one hundred
things that everyone has to know about Sweden. And you'll
be aware ike has made list.

Speaker 2 (04:00):
You know that. I haven't heard about that, to be honest.

Speaker 1 (04:04):
Yeah, Ika made the list, Peppy long Stocking made the list.
Nobout Peace Prize made the list, but they left Abba
off the list of the one hundred greatest Swedish things?
Is that as much I think that's a scandal. Do
you think that's a scandal.

Speaker 2 (04:17):
That's brilliant if we if we even made it on
the list. So that's that's of course. It just tells
how excited people are about Ikea around the world.

Speaker 1 (04:28):
Joanna, thank you very much, Joanna said delerf is iks
but definitely not wasn't going to take the bait. I
was not going to take the bait and get involved
in a controversy around Abba anyway, whatever, I suppose that's
fair enough. People have got strong feelings on that one.
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(04:50):
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